I just returned to Konoha and found that my entire clan was gone.

When the two arrived at the venue, Hinata greeted Neji first, addressing him directly as "brother".

"Huh? Are they siblings?" Naruto, who had just returned and greeted Hinata, couldn't help but ask.

"Hmm... Hinata and Neji's relationship is a bit like Sasuke and Yelan's—they're from the same clan, but the difference is that they are from the main family and the branch family, respectively," Kakashi explained.

"Heh, that's all the Hyuga clan can do," Ye Lan said disdainfully. The Uchiha clan has always been at odds with the Hyuga clan, not because of certain individuals within the clan, but because of their methods of managing the family, including the division into the main family and branch families.

Seeing Ye Lan's disdain, Sasuke and the others had questions.

At this moment, Lee said, "Clans with long histories like the Hyuga and Uchiha have unique secret techniques. It seems that the main family has set many rules for the inheritance of these techniques, and most of these rules are biased towards the main family. This has created many conflicts between the branch family and the main family. Neji is from the branch family, while Hinata is from the main family."

"So this is a duel of cause and effect..." Sakura said thoughtfully.

When Hinata and Neji stood on the stage, they didn't immediately begin their duel. Neji constantly verbally attacked Hinata, saying things like, "You're not suitable for this exam. You're an insecure person. You only took the exam because your teammates asked you to. Everyone's fate is predetermined. You're the eldest daughter of the main family, while I'm just a member of the branch family." Hinata only quietly retorted, which only fueled Neji's arrogance, and his words became increasingly outrageous.

"Byakugan!" Neji said, forming hand seals, and the veins around his eyes bulged, revealing a pair of Byakugan.

This was the first time Sasuke and the others had seen the Byakugan, and they didn't know what its function was.

"Like the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan, the Byakugan can observe the opponent's taijutsu and ninjutsu, and it is even better than the Sharingan in terms of observation. When combined with the taijutsu of the Hyuga clan, it can cause greater damage," Kakashi explained.

The Byakugan is quite strong before the Sharingan develops into the three-tomoe Sharingan, but once the Sharingan evolves into the three-tomoe Sharingan, most Hyuga ninjas can't handle it. Back then, the Uchiha clan dominated the Hyuga clan. Ye Lan thought to herself.

Neji continued to mock Hinata, as if he could see right through her and was describing her cowardly inner thoughts. Hinata was like a wounded puppy, unable to refute him.

"Don't judge other people's feelings so easily, you idiot!" Naruto, still clutching the medicine Hinata had just given him, yelled at her.

"Take down that arrogant guy, Hinata!"

This kid, Ye Lan looked at Naruto shouting beside him, and in some ways he was quite extraordinary.

Hinata seemed to have taken it to heart, striking the same pose as Neji and activating her Byakugan. Regardless of the verbal exchange, the final showdown would be their fighting skills.

However, the difference in strength between the two was too great. Hinata was able to launch attacks at first, but later she could only be beaten by Neji. Her arm, which Neji lifted up, was covered with marks from the Gentle Fist. Even so, Hinata did not give up. This seemingly cowardly girl made others see her for herself again. In the end, Neji successfully struck Hinata's heart with one blow, and Hinata could no longer stand up. Hayate Gekko announced the end of the match.

Then Naruto shouted on the stage, making Hinata stand up again. Hinata, who had stood up, pointed out Neji's inner confusion. Enraged, Neji attacked the seriously injured Hinata directly. This time, all the Jonin moved out together to stop Neji.

"Is this special treatment from the main family?" Neji said resentfully.

Guy was trying to comfort Hinata, while Kurenai Yuhi, Hinata's mentor, was observing Hinata's injuries.

"If Hinata really wanted to defeat this kid, one seal would have solved the problem," Ye Lan said in a low voice, without stepping forward.

"Huh? Why do you say that?" Naruto didn't believe that a single hand seal could defeat Neji.

"If, as you say, Hinata is a member of the main family, then let me tell you that the main family has absolute power of life and death over the branch families. Once a member of the branch family reaches a certain age, they must have a cursed seal placed on their body. When a member of the branch family dies, this cursed seal will automatically trigger and destroy the Byakugan on the corpse. This is a method to protect the Byakugan from being leaked." As a member of the Uchiha clan, the mortal enemy of the Byakugan clan, Ye Lan was very familiar with the rules of the Hyuga clan.

"The Hyuga clan has such rules." Sakura and the others had no idea about this kind of information in the village.

"Not only that, in order to successfully control the branch family, the main family members will master the way to trigger the curse seal. They only need to form a hand seal to trigger the branch family's curse seal. Once triggered, the branch family members will suffer a fate worse than death, but if they do not quickly remove it, they will be in danger of dying."

"This is too much..." Sakura covered her mouth, unable to believe that such a thing could happen in the village.

"There's nothing we can do about it. Unlike the Sharingan, the Byakugan is very adaptable. The bounty hunters outside the village have quite a lot of money to offer for the Byakugan," Ye Lan explained.

"The Uchiha clan would never stoop to placing a cursed seal on another clan." Sasuke deeply disliked the Hyuga clan's practices.

"Speaking of which, I remember what that cursed seal was called again, something like Bird in a Cage, ah, a little bird locked in a cage, how fitting."

Chapter 16, Third Preliminary Round Ends

Next, there are four contestants who haven't gone on stage yet, followed by Rock Lee versus Gaara.

"Yoshi, Lee, let them see your strength!" Kai gave Lee a thumbs up, revealing his shiny teeth.

"I just can't accept this style," Ye Lan thought to herself, looking at the tearful master and disciple.

After entering the fray, Lee launched a fierce taijutsu attack on Gaara, but Gaara's sand completely blocked it, leaving him unharmed. Then, following Guy's instructions, Lee removed his weights. While the others were unimpressed, the weights were thrown to the ground, kicking up an exaggerated cloud of dust that silenced everyone. Lee's speed increased to a level that the other genin couldn't even see, and Gaara's sand couldn't react in time, getting hit by Lee every time.

However, this attack was far from enough. In addition to the sand defense surrounding his body, Gaara also had sand armor on his body. Lee's attack could not break through Gaara's defense at all. With no other choice, Lee could only use the Lotus Flower to attack Gaara. After releasing it, he found that his attack was just a clone of Gaara.

"This child excels in physical skills, but he also has significant weaknesses," Ye Lan commented, watching the two combatants.

"Why do you say that?" Sakura, who had some acquaintance with Li, asked.

"Because they only know physical skills, their combat power will drop sharply when they run out of strength during a fight with this kind of opponent. It seems that they have no strength left after using that move. Look."

After hearing Ye Lan's words, Sakura looked at Lee in the arena. Lee didn't even have the strength to run away and was being attacked by Gaara's sand.

"How could this happen? We were in the lead just now..." Sakura said, looking at Lee who was being beaten up.

"No, Li won't give up easily; he has his own determination." Seeing Li being beaten, Kai wasn't worried at all. "The real test of his youth is coming."

The third gate of the Eight Gates Formation, the Gate of Life, is open.

Suddenly, an astonishing burst of chakra erupted from Lee's body, his face turned red, his hair stood on end, and an amazing aura emanated from him.

"Kai, you actually taught this kid such a dangerous technique!" Kakashi had already lifted his headband, revealing his Sharingan, and was observing Lee's every move.

The Eight Gates Formation was a ninjutsu Ye Lan had never heard of before. It was amazing that it could unleash such power. However, it seemed that the jutsu had significant side effects and was not suitable for him. Moreover, he already possessed Kotoamatsukuni, which, although it also had side effects, was not of much use to him.

Wow, I didn't expect Rock Lee to be so strong. Gaara is also a very strong opponent. I wonder which of them I'll face next. Sasuke has already activated his Sharingan and is observing both sides' every move. Neither of them is easy to deal with; they could both be his opponents next.

"It's not over yet! Fourth Gate, Gate of Injury, open!"

Lee's chakra surged once again, and he kicked Gaara's chin with incredible speed, sending Gaara flying into the air.

So fast! Even with his Sharingan activated, Sasuke couldn't see Lee's movements clearly, and if Lee attacked him, he wouldn't be able to react in time.

Then Gaara was kicked around in the air by Lee, and the sand armor on his body kept falling off, making it impossible for him to fight back.

Is that not enough? Fifth Gate, the Gate of Closure, open. Little Li unwrapped the bandages from his hands, wrapped them around Gaara's waist, and threw him violently from the air to the ground. The smoke that rose up blinded everyone.

"It's over, Lee lost." Ye Lan closed his Sharingan; he had already seen the result.

"How could this be?" Naruto and the others couldn't believe that Rock Lee could lose like this.

As the smoke cleared, Gaara was seen lying on a patch of sand, while Lee had already retreated from the Eight Gates state. Gaara directly used the sand to twist off one of Lee's arms and one of his legs. Seeing that Lee was still struggling, Gaara continued to manipulate the sand to attack Lee.

At this moment, Guy immediately went down into the arena and scattered Gaara's sand. He knew that Lee had already lost, and if he didn't come soon, Lee's life would be in danger.

Then Hayate Gekko announced Gaara's victory, and Lee, despite being unconscious, still stood up and assumed a fighting stance. This scene made Guy hug Lee tightly, tears streaming down his face.

This time, Ye Lan did not feel any discomfort. Although Xiao Li was a genin, he did many things that jonin could not do.

"Kakashi, there's something wrong with that kid." While Naruto and the others were focused on Rock Lee's injuries, Ye Lan walked up to Kakashi and whispered.

"There's no mistake, that child is a Jinchuriki from Sunagakure." Ye Lan believed his eyes. Although it was a small amount, a trace of chakra that didn't belong to Gaara leaked out during the battle.

"Are you sure?" Kakashi knew this was no small matter. Another ninja village was actually sending a Jinchuriki to participate in the Chunin Exams. What exactly was Sunagakure trying to do?

"I'm sure, you need to understand that I am a member of the Uchiha clan."

"Once the preliminaries are over, I'll report to the Hokage. This is no small matter," Kakashi said seriously.

"Once a Jinchuriki goes into overdrive, even a Jonin can't handle it. I'm afraid the Sand Village might have other motives."

Kakashi remained silent. There weren't many people in the village who could handle the Tailed Beasts. If the Jinchuriki really unleashed their power, they would likely have to rely on Ye Lan, since he was a member of the Uchiha clan.

When Naruto and the others learned that Rock Lee might not be cured and would have to give up his ninja identity, they were all shocked. It was the first time that a good friend of theirs was about to leave his ninja career because of injury. The group fell silent. Naruto started to shout, he couldn't accept this. Sasuke was a little better and just didn't say anything. Sakura covered her mouth and cried uncontrollably.

"Calm down, Naruto." Kakashi stepped forward and covered Naruto's mouth.

"But Kakashi-sensei, Lee clearly said that hard work can defeat geniuses, and he hasn't even proven it yet..." Naruto's emotions began to break down.

"Can't accept this, kid? You should be glad you live in a peaceful era." Ye Lan said from the side, and everyone else looked at him. "Death is the norm for ninjas. I have seen my teammates die one by one in front of me, and I was powerless to do anything about it. If you are not willing to accept this, then carry on the wishes of that thick-browed kid and work hard together."

Senior Ye Lan doesn't look much older than us, yet he's been through something like this... Sakura was shocked by Ye Lan's words.

Seeing Naruto's unwilling gaze, Ye Lan continued, "Let me tell you that all the Jonin present have experienced the death of their comrades. They don't tell you because they don't want to reopen their own wounds. We can only live on by carrying the will of others."

"Don't say anything more, Ye Lan. These things are too early for them..." Kakashi stopped him, not wanting his student to develop any psychological problems.

Ye Lan shook his head helplessly after hearing this. Kakashi said that they were no longer students but his subordinates, but in his heart he still regarded them as children. He himself had been on the battlefield when he was younger than them. Peace for a long time can really change a person.

With the final match ending with Sound Ninja Dosu defeating Choji, the Hokage reappeared before the people, announcing that the third exam would officially begin in a month. It would also be a one-on-one duel, but in addition to the ninjas present, nobles from various countries would also come to watch. He hoped that everyone would seize this month to improve their strength and present their best performance to everyone.

Chapter 17 Training Arrangement

A few days after the second exam, the Hokage summoned the village's Jonin back to the Hokage Building.

"Yesterday, the Anbu discovered Hayate Gekko's body," Hiruzen Sarutobi said gravely, sitting in the center.

"Could it be Orochimaru?" Anko thought that the most likely suspect for a Jonin who could be found in the village so quietly was Orochimaru.

“No, I had Hayate follow Kabuto Yakushi. He was a suspect, but I didn’t expect it would backfire and harm him.” Hiruzen felt a little guilty, but he quickly put away his sad expression and said seriously, “According to the Anbu’s report, Hayate died from a powerful Wind Release technique. The opponent was at least a Jonin-level expert. It was very likely that it was Kabuto Yakushi or his accomplices who did it. We cannot be sure it was Orochimaru. We must be prepared for other enemies.”

"The Chunin Exams will be in full swing in a month. Nobles from other countries and the Kazekage will be arriving soon. Konoha's security level will be raised to the highest level. I will also instruct the Anbu to participate in the security arrangements. Everyone must remain vigilant."

Hiruzen then made a series of arrangements, and the Jonin who received the orders left one after another. Finally, Hiruzen left Yelan behind and said, "Yelan, you did a very good job stopping Orochimaru's plan in the Forest of Death last time. This is a reward I'm giving you after thinking about it."

After saying that, he picked up a scroll and handed it to Ye Lan. Ye Lan was a little surprised after taking it and opening it. He did not expect Hiruzen to give him this kind of ninjutsu as a reward.

"Lord Hokage, this technique belongs to the Second Hokage..."

Hiruzen waved his hand. “You are a descendant of Kagami, Shisui’s younger brother. I am truly sorry about what happened to Shisui. He was a good boy who worked tirelessly for the harmonious coexistence of the Uchiha clan and the village. Now, only you and Sasuke remain in the Uchiha clan. I hope you can inherit his will.”

Ye Lan remained silent. There were too many questions about Shisui's disappearance. The reason he stayed in the village was to find out the real reason for the Uchiha clan's extermination. This could be seen from his casual wearing of the Konoha headband and his never wearing a ninja vest. He didn't really have any attachment to the village.

Looking at the silent Yelan, Hiruzen sighed, "I understand that you have some concerns about the Uchiha clan, but now is the time when the village needs strength the most. I must unite everyone in the village. Yelan, please consider this an old man's request."

Looking at Hiruzen's face, which was covered with age spots, Ye Lan nodded. "Hokage-sama, what do you need me to do for this Chunin Exam?"

Upon hearing Ye Lan's reply, Hiruzen smiled slightly. "Kakashi has already told me that there is a Jinchuriki among the students taking the exam in Sunagakure. I trust your judgment. On the day of the competition, I need you to supervise that Jinchuriki at the venue. If he goes berserk, you must intervene immediately. The village cannot tolerate the destruction caused by a Jinchuriki."

Hiruzen then gave a few more instructions, and Yelan accepted them before taking his leave.

"Hiruzen, is it really a good idea to teach that child the master's techniques?" Koharu asked as soon as Ye Lan left and they turned to the next room.

"We owe both Kagami and Shisui too much. We can't let the two remaining Uchiha be disappointed. Sasuke hasn't grown up yet. We need Yelan's power." Perhaps it was because of his age, Hiruzen's feelings had changed a lot, and his heart had become softer.

"If Jiraiya and Tsunade were here, we wouldn't have been in such a passive position. I wonder where those two are right now," Mitokado Homura said angrily.

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent upon hearing the names of his other two disciples. None of his disciples had been able to inherit his mantle; they had all left the village. In a way, he had truly failed as a teacher.

"Yo! Ye Lan."

As soon as Ye Lan left the Hokage Building, he found Kakashi waiting for him at the entrance.

"There's something I want to discuss with you..." Kakashi's eyes darted around, somewhat avoiding Ye Lan's gaze, as if he had made up his mind before continuing, "You know there's still a month until the final exams, and I plan to give Sasuke special training, but Naruto, who also passed the exams, doesn't have anyone to coach him yet. Could you...?"

"No way." Before Kakashi could finish speaking, Ye Lan immediately refused.

“It’s not that I don’t want to help, but Naruto’s personality is just not compatible with mine. Besides, my fighting style is completely different from Naruto’s. Do you expect him to learn my Fire Release or swordsmanship? Can you imagine Naruto fighting in the same way as me?”